There was mitigation but then there was plenty on some of the other cases. Liam Watts on for up to 6 games! I mean, just wow!! Micky Mac the same. Those lads are no angels but I can’t help but wonder if they’re trying to run them out the game altogether. Teams will need to be playing 17/18 year old kids in a few weeks at this rate.


Alex Walmsley has come out with some really interesting comments today and I hope all the players follow him and back him. I get things needed to change and they need to penalise players and even throw out yellow and red cards but throwing whopping bans on top for what looks like accidental contacts is just ludicrous.

We’ll see how many games it’ll total but it looks like it’ll be a minimum of early 20’s and as I say, I saw one shocking challenge all weekend (that didn’t do any damage luckily).

You’re right on Westerman btw. They both attempted the same challenge from either side and Westerman made the first contact.

It's might seem hyperbole but, imo, it goes way way past just the game.

If this nanny state approach, that we're seeing right across society, continues then everything is f'd. It's not progress, it's regression.

Personal choice is becoming less and less of a thing. People choose to play RL and know the consequences. They also choose to eat junk food, drink too much, smoke and gamble. We all know the pitfalls of each, but each person should be free to decide if it's worth it. We don't need a governing body, doctor of government to tell us what we can, or can't do.

I overheard Mike Danson on the phone on the back seats of our coach after the game “calling in” a favour or two. Didn’t quite hear who he was talking to but it sounded something like “can I speak to Paul Colander please?” Nobody else heard this but trust me it isn’t a conspiracy theory but just a fact that we still run the rfl when we need to abuse the rules.
Don’t let our beloved friends over on RedVee know about this as they will go ballistic.
Good News Week.

The constant penalties/six agains etc will have the same effect as it did in the other code and make the game nothing but stop start and kill the entertainement - I thought that RL was sensible enough not to go down the same route but it looks ineviatable now. Add in bans and the ridiculous theatrics of some players (one cas player in particular more than once falling on the floor clutching his face looking for a penalty and when nothing was given was very quickly back up) and the game will become less about entertainment as time goes by.

Hopefully things will calm down after a few weeks as there is always a big push early rounds for refs to take control which gradually lessens as the weeks go by - we can hope anyway!

Harry Smith free to play next Saturday according to the Mirror https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/rugby-le ... s-32162734 "But England scrum-half Harry Smith, sin-binned in his side’s 32-4 win at Castleford for a tip-tackle on Luke Hooley, has avoided any ban. His challenge was graded as B and he’s been fined £250 with the RFL saying ‘this was because the unnatural actions of the tackled player significantly contributed to the outcome of the tackle."

Harry Smith free to play next Saturday according to the Mirror https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/rugby-le ... s-32162734 "But England scrum-half Harry Smith, sin-binned in his side’s 32-4 win at Castleford for a tip-tackle on Luke Hooley, has avoided any ban. His challenge was graded as B and he’s been fined £250 with the RFL saying ‘this was because the unnatural actions of the tackled player significantly contributed to the outcome of the tackle."

Westerman did attempt very lazily to wrap his arm. Watts on the other hand made no attempt. If Dupree was stood up straight it still would have been a card for a clear shoulder charge. I would like to think there was no malice behind the challenge but he made no attempt to wrap the arm

Harry needs to count himself lucky not to see a card. Regardless there is no place for a tip tackle in the game

Can't believe Byrne got nothing after cleaning out Thompson

I know this is tongue in cheek, but if you look at accidental head contact that can often lead to more damage to the tackler than the tackled then what is actually the difference between accidental contact with your own player and opponents?
The real thing here should be the term accidental, often responsibility at speed is taken away by impact from other tackling players, a slip or movement by ball carrier that can all lead to perfect technique and body position being left looking poor within a split second and illegal. How do you realistically differ accidental contact between anyone who's involved in tackles? All shows how you can't take this completely away from the game and sooner we get players input on this the better, mainly because it's a pretty impossible position to play or officiate on.

Now that Smith and Ellis have been cleared it just leaves us poor souls with only who replaces Thompson (and possibly Leeming) to argue about

Looks like IMG have got their wish when it comes to increasing Social Media content, never known anything like it on Facebook & Twitter tonight. Surprised we are not trending to be honest.

Always have always will.

the bit i bolded is the critical bit, and something i think will come into our game. i've already seen 2 instances in RU just on my facebook feed where players have been sent off for accidental head clashes in the tackle, and the ref saying its careless/ reckless etc and sent them off. When i watched both, i was looking to see what the play was about, and then all of a sudden red card pulled and player off

It does leave me questioning why they set a date of 2025 for the reduction of the tackle height to below the armpits. If this is any indication of how the season is going to pan out, then we are in for a stinker and i can genuinely see it causing substantial harm to the viewing figures and interest which risks to completely undo all the positive changes that the sport and clubs have made.

We would have likely seen a tough year this season regardless, as i imagine there will be a period of adjustment to the reduced tackle height where we will see plenty of penalties dished out as well as suspensions. But with the path we have gone down, we are now facing 2 years in a row like the weekend just gone.

If they intended to be so aggressive against head contact (i am sure their hands are tied on this, with the ex player stuff ongoing), i just fail to see the logic in delaying the change that so needs to be made. At the game on Saturday i was saying to the group i go with, if this first round is a sign of how the season will go, then it is looking bad enough that the reduced tackle height could well be the saviour of the sport and a welcomed change, especially if the clubs and players buy into it. I do think it comes with other issues, such as potentially making offloads easier being one of them but i am sure the game would adjust to any effects such a big ruling will bring.

Putting on my conspiracy hat for a second, maybe that is part of the grand plan. Make this season so unbearable that even the controversial armpit ruling seems a desirable change!

#

Let's call it what it is: what should be the dawn of a new age of mass-interest in RL is turning into the dawn of audience annihilation.

According to Alex Walmsley, none of this is happening in Australia, Life goes on in the NRL as usual. So the international part of the game will die first.

Only the RFL could have supervised a sh##show like this.

Think it was more unfortunate considering the laying on and slowing the game down most of the time.
He just happened to be the straw that broke the refs back after one can only assume the team as a whole were warned if it happened again someone would get a yellow.
Looking at other sin binnings and sending offs yes it was as minor as it gets.

Sorry to hijack but what would be the best pub to watch the saints game before the WCC. With my old man so preferably somewhere not too busy with a low d*c*head ratio?

Cue gag about sintelliners in attendance ramping up aforementioned ratio.

So the game is being played under the old interpretations of the rules regarding head contact/illegal tackles after which we go back to the new interpretations for Huddersfield. There is no captains challenge but you can strip the ball when a defender leaves a multi-man tackle as per NRL rules.

Anyone get the impression they're making it up as they go?

Sure. Why would the RFL change the habit of a lifetime?

Red Robin is next to the ground but isnt great. Theres plenty of places in town but again, not that great with the b3ll3nd ratio. The fan village will be open but will be very busy but is friendly

Somewhere like the Anvil would probably fit the bill in town (if it has Sky?) or the Swan and Railway. You don’t get too many idiots in those two from my experience. Only issue will be how busy they’ll be. I think everywhere will be pretty rammed around that time.

Maybe worth watching it somewhere on the outskirts of town like Orrell, Billinge, Standish etc and then head to the DW from there but parking/time may be an issue.

Yeah got to agree with NK on town centre pubs. I go into both on a regular basis and generally a decent set of people frequent them both.
Out of town but quite close to the ground on Victoria street is The Jawbone. A relatively new landlady but historically pretty accommodating to rugby supporters. Wouldn’t go there though normally on a Saturday night for the karaoke! A few “characters” go in but stranger’s won’t get any hassle.

It's usually OK for rugby events easy stroll to the ground from pub

Harvie Hill will play Peet has confirmed. What an opportunity for the lad!